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Jesse Babcock Ferguson
1819-1870

Artwork by Robert Fero, Source: Stone-Campbell
Movement:
An Anecdotal History Of Three Churches
by Leroy Garrett, Page 388b, Enhanced For This Site

Biographical Sketch On The Life Of Jesse B.
Ferguson
Like a meteor
which flashes across the horizon, making a trail of glorious light behind it,
and then suddenly disappearing and leaving nothing but darkness in its wake, so
Jesse B. Ferguson came above the horizon and shone as a great pulpit orator in
the church of Christ at Nashville, Tenn., and then as suddenly disappeared and
dropped into obscurity. Perhaps no preacher of the gospel ever stood so high in
the estimation of the people and received the plaudits of the populace and then
dropped so low as did this man.
Jesse Babcock
Ferguson was born in the city of Philadelphia, Pa., January 19, 1819. His
father, Robert French Ferguson, was of Scotch descent, and his mother, Hannah
Champlain Babcock, was of English descent. His grandmother on his father's side
was of the Quaker family of French, who were among the early settlers of New
Jersey. His mother was related to the Babcocks and Champlains of Rhode Island
and was mingled with Puritan and Quaker blood. Soon after Jesse B.'s birth the
family moved to the Shenandoah Valley, in Virginia. His father resided near
Winchester. At the age of eleven Jesse B. was placed in Fair View Academy, and
made rapid progress in his studies. At the age of fourteen young Ferguson met
with a severe disappointment. His elder brothers had been educated at William
and Mary College, one of the oldest educational institutions in Virginia, and
Jesse B. had expected to take his turn as a student there. His father had some
financial reverses and could not give him the advantages that his brothers had.
Young Ferguson was so sorely disappointed that he resolved to turn his attention
to something that would furnish him with money to continue his education.
He decided to
apprentice himself in the printing office of a newspaper published in
Winchester. A little more than a year after young Ferguson had entered the
office as an apprentice his employer failed in business and was obliged to cease
publishing the paper. He released young Ferguson from his obligations as an
apprentice and advised him to obtain a classical education. His father would not
let him give up his apprenticeship and soon found work for him in a book
printing establishment in Baltimore, Md. He remained here but a few weeks, when
his health gave way and he had to return home. He had what was then called
"white swelling," as a result of which, after suffering for three months, he was
left a cripple for life. About this time an elder brother, R. F. Ferguson,
became editor of a paper published in Virginia. Jesse B. soon joined his brother
and continued his studies with his work. He completed the courses in Latin and
Greek. At the age of twenty-one he left Virginia and went to Ohio. He opened a
school in Logan County, and taught for a while there. He married the daughter of
James Mark, who had gone from Kentucky to that State. He did not remain very
long in Ohio, but came to Southern Kentucky, where his wife's kinspeople lived.
He became a Christian, and soon began to take public part in the worship.
Jesse B. Ferguson
became a preacher of the gospel in 1838. He preached for four years in Kentucky
and established many congregations in the rural sections of that State. He was
applauded there as a very brilliant and eloquent preacher. He soon became known
over the State of Kentucky and was acclaimed as one of the best preachers in the
entire State. He was brilliant, and he knew it. He was possessed with a very
high degree of self-esteem, and fed his vanity until he developed into a very
sophisticated preacher. Some claim that he was spoiled by the compliments that
he received and the praises which were given him. Few men have possessed such
conceit as he had. Of course, as he developed so much egotism, he lost in
spirituality.
In 1842 the
church at Nashville, Tenn., which numbered about five hundred members, was
growing rapidly. Alexander Campbell had frequently
visited the church and had greatly strengthened it. Dr. Wharton was serving as
elder and also preacher of the church at that time. Philip
S. Fall had labored with the church until he had built up a very strong
congregation. In May, 1842, Jesse B. Ferguson was invited to hold a series of
meetings. He had become quite prominent in Kentucky at that time. He came and
preached for two weeks. He captivated his audiences, and his fame soon spread
throughout the city and surrounding country. His audiences increased in number
until the church house was filled to overflowing. He had many additions to the
church during this meeting. At the close of the meeting he was invited to come
and work with the church in Nashville. He was greatly flattered by the
invitation, but did not accept it. Again, in 1844, by invitation, he visited the
church and held another meeting, which was even a greater success than his
former meeting. From the time that he closed the meeting in 1844 until February
24, 1846, he was constantly implored by letters to come and take up work with
the church in Nashville.
He left his
family in Southern Kentucky and came to Nashville in February, 1846, and
remained with the church one year. At the close of the year he was waited upon
by a committee of the church with a unanimous request that he accept the work
for another year. He took a month's vacation and brought his family, in March,
1847, to live in Nashville and work with the church. For five years he preached
for the church and enjoyed almost unexampled success. The church continued to
increase in number and popularity in the city until it was necessary to erect a
larger house. The church of Christ in Nashville, with Jesse B. Ferguson as its
preacher, enjoyed a greater prominence and popularity than any of the
denominational churches. During this time Brother Ferguson was looked upon as
the greatest pulpit orator that ever visited Nashville, and he enjoyed the fame
of being the greatest and most eloquent pulpit orator in the South. He was
popular with all the churches of Christ in Tennessee and the South. He is
described as a man of fine personal appearance, a very fluent writer, and a very
fascinating and eloquent speaker.
In January, 1844,
Tolbert Fanning began to publish the Christian Review, and continued the
publication of this journal for four years. He was pressed with other duties,
and he turned the publication of the Christian Review over to Jesse B. Ferguson.
Brother Ferguson changed the name of the publication and became the editor of
the Christian Magazine. The first issue of this paper was published in
Nashville, January, 1848. Brother Ferguson had associated with
Tolbert Fanning and B.
F. Hall. The names of these brethren appeared as associate editors for only
two issues. Brother Ferguson continued the publication of the Christian Magazine
for six years. During the era of his popularity he was made a member of the
Board of Trustees of Franklin College. His name appears on the list of the
members of the board of Franklin College for 1848. No man had more honors thrust
upon him by the brotherhood in Nashville and in Tennessee than did Brother
Ferguson. He was the preacher for the largest congregation in the State; the
most popular preacher in Nashville; a member of the board of trustees for
Franklin College, which was presided over by Tolbert Fanning, who was a prince
among educators in the brotherhood at that time; and the editor in chief of the
Christian Magazine. Brother Ferguson had the qualities of a successful
politician. He flattered all and was flattered by all. For several months he
enjoyed the honor and distinction of being the youngest preacher in the city and
the most famous one.
In April, 1852,
in giving an exposition of 1 Pet. 3:19, he expressed the sentiment that all
"whose place of birth and external circumstances prevented the hearing of the
gospel in life would not be condemned without hearing it." This was published in
the Christian Magazine, in the April issue. Alexander Campbell took issue with
this exposition. Brother Ferguson became irritated and highly incensed that any
one should contradict anything that he should write or preach. He began at once
to defend his position vigorously, and finally took the position that 1 Pet.
3:19 taught that people would have a second chance after death to obey the
gospel. Alexander Campbell exposed his theory, and finally Brother Ferguson went
into Universalism and spiritualism. He was so popular that he carried a very
large percentage of the church in Nashville with him. Many other churches in
Tennessee were affected by his teaching. Alexander Campbell continued to expose
him, and he continued to flounder and drift until he left the tenets of the
faith and blasphemed the church of our Lord. One says of him that he "rose to
such a height in the estimation of his hearers, and especially his own, that his
head became giddy, and, being no longer able to preserve his religious
equilibrium, he was precipitated doctrinally into the region of departed
spirits, where he immediately attempted to immortalize himself by new
discoveries." The church in Nashville was completely destroyed by his influence.
There were a few
brethren in the church who continued to hold to the faith of the gospel. They
were driven from the church house and were not permitted to worship in the
house. Suit was instituted by these brethren to claim the house. The matter went
into court and was finally decided in favor of the few brethren who had remained
loyal to the New Testament teaching. A day or two after the suit was decided,
April 8, 1857, the church house was burned. The fire was discovered about six
o'clock that morning. Many thought that it was set on fire by some of Jesse B.
Ferguson's admirers. Mr. Ferguson continued for a while in Nashville, but began
to lose his influence. He published a book on "Spirit Communion," in which he
gives a record of some supposed communication which he had had with the "spirit
spheres." Later he went to Mississippi, and thence to New Orleans, preaching the
doctrine of spiritualism and then Universalism. He continued to lose his
influence and finally quit preaching. He dropped out of public notice and died
in obscurity. We find the following in the Nashville Union and American, a daily
paper published in Nashville at that time, issue of September 4, 1870:
DEATH OF REV. J. B.
FERGUSON
We are pained to
chronicle this morning the death of our eminent fellow citizen, Rev. J. B.
Ferguson, who died at his residence yesterday morning, three miles from the
city, after a lingering disease. Some years ago, when Mr. Ferguson was pastor of
the Christian Church, he enjoyed a reputation for pulpit oratory second to no
man in the South. He commenced life as a printer's boy, and was emphatically a
self-made man, having by studious attention, while employed at the printing
business, fitted himself for the ministry. He was a man of popular manners, warm
and open-hearted in his nature, and generally esteemed by a large circle of
friends.
Brother
D. Lipscomb wrote of him in the Gospel
Advocate, September 22, 1870:
It may be a
matter of sad interest to our readers to know the fate of this once honored but
erratic man. He was the most popular preacher in the Southern country at one
time. He was almost worshiped by his admirers in this city, where he ministered
as preacher of the church of Christ. He had not that humility of soul and
strength of character to stand flattery and adulation heaped upon him. He
apostatized from the faith and adopted latitudinarian views in his faith and
with reference to morality. He attempted to build up a congregation of adherents
on his loose views. He failed, turned politician, veered to different points of
the compass as the popular winds seemed to blow. He lost respect of all parties
here. Once no citizen of Nashville but felt it an honor to be recognized by him.
In later years he was scarcely recognized by his former acquaintances even of
the world when met on the streets. The contrast was too painful to be borne by
one so ambitious of popular applause as he. So, although his family resided in
the vicinity, of late years he was seldom upon the streets of Nashville. . . He
died on Saturday, September 3, 1870. On Lord's day he was buried at Mount Olivet
Cemetery. The funeral services were performed by Dr. Baird, of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church.
His death
attracted scarcely a passing notice from the daily press and hardly a remark on
the streets of Nashville of one who at one time was the most honored and
esteemed pulpit orator. His life and death should teach a sad lesson to popular
preachers and those who depart from the word of God to gain the plaudits of the
world.
—From
Biographical Sketches Of Gospel Preachers, H. Leo
Boles, Gospel Advocate Company, Nashville, Tennessee, 1932, pages 186-191

Directions To The Grave Of J.B. Ferguson
Jesse B. Ferguson
is buried in the Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Nashville
Tennessee. The cemetery is located on Lebanon Pike, Southeast of downtown. Click
over to Mt. Olivet for map and location of the grave in the cemetery.
His remains rest in Section 1 - Lot #53
GPS
Coordinates
N36º 09' 05.5" x WO 86º 44' 01.8"
Accuracy To Within 21'
Facing East


Jesse B. Ferguson, D.D.
Born Jan. 19,1819;
Died Sept. 3, 1870.
Lucinda Vance,
Wife Of Jesse B. Ferguson,
Born Nov. 10, 1820;
Died Mar. 24, 1880.
Mary Meriwether,
Daughter Of
Jesse B. & L.V. Ferguson,
Born Mar. 13, 1844;
Died Apr. 6, 1884.

Henry H. Harrison
Born, Feb. 16, 1804
Died Dec. 14, 1877
Rebecca
Wife Of
Henry H. Harrison
Born In Portsmouth, Eng.
Nov. 16, 1808
Died June 12, 1871

Jessie F.
Son Of
Geo. W. & Virginia C.
Harrison
Born Jan. 4, 1871;
Died Sept. 22, 1875
Robert F.
Son Of
Geo. W. & Virginia C. Harrison
Born May 8, 1875;
Died Oct. 1, 1875.
George W. Harrison
Born July 21, 1837
Died July 6, 1886
A Member of Co. B 1st Tenn.
Reg't. C.S.A.

Father & Mother Of Jesse B. Ferguson:
Robert French Ferguson
Born Nov. 30, 1790
Died, March 18, 1862
Hannah Champlin
Wife Of
Robert E. Ferguson,
Born Sept. 22, 1790;
Died Jan, 13, 1881.
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